By making replacement grab handles using soft copper wire, your kit items will be sent packing, replaced with stronger & more “in-scale” items.

The advantages are simple. Handling the model will be easier as you are less likely to break them once in situ. The handles will appear to be made of a real metallic material so can be gently bent & shaped to convey damage. You can easily change them or replace them as you work, if needed.

In order to make accurately-sized grab handles time after time, tweezers & pliers are too imprecise. It’s much better to use a dedicated tool.

In this video, we used RPToolz of Hungary’s dedicated handle-making device. It’s a form of plate clamp that easily allows you to pick a given size & them repeatedly churn out handles of those dimensions. If you want to know more, just sit back & watch the video to a get a “handle” on using the tool. (Ed. – that’s a terrible pun!).